Apr 24, 2012

A doctoral grant in Cancer Epidemiology and Neuroepidemology, Karolinska Institutet

Karolinska Institutet has a vacancy forA doctoral student with doctoral grant in Cancer Epidemiology and Neuroepidemology( 2 positions)
Department
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Description of research group and project

The Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics is among the biggest departments of epidemiology in Europe with special focus on increasing our knowledge of the aetiology for different diseases. Our department consists of researchers, doctoral students, biostatisticians, data collectors and database administrators as well as administrative personnel, in total approximately some 250 staff. The department is situated in campus Solna. Further information can be found atwww.meb.ki. se.

We are now looking for a total of two phD-positions divided into two different research areas: Cancer Epidemiology and Neuroepidemiology.

Our breast cancer epidemiology group comprises 2 professors, 4 postdocs, and 4 PhD-students. The group has a vast international collaboration and frequently interacts with European, Singaporean and US groups. The present thesis will aim at acquiring a comprehensive picture of breast cancer prognosis. In Sweden, one woman in eight will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime and approximately one fourth of breast cancer patients will die from their disease, while many more will suffer from treatment related complications. There are both host (patient) and tumor characteristics that define breast cancer prognosis, as well as treatment response and complications. Therefore our aim is to study both patient and tumor determinants of breast cancer prognosis.

Our neuroepidemiology research group studies genetic and environmental risk factors for the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), myasthenia gravis and Parkinson’s disease; and the research group consists of researchers from both Karolinska Institutet and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in the United States. The present thesis will for the first time systematically investigate the relationship between metabolic disorders and ALS and improve our understating of the potentially shared aetiology of metabolic disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. The role of metabolic disorders on cardiovascular diseases has been broadly investigated, while a potential role of metabolic disorders on neurodegenerative diseases including ALS is less well studied.
Duties and responsibilities
Cancer epidemiology:
Under supervision, the PhD student will be responsible for literature review, data analysis, result interpretation, scientific article writing and data presentation. We will study the long term prognosis among women treated for breast cancer using registry data. Next we want to study inheritance of breast cancer prognosis as well as tumor specific markers for disease progression. Finally we will explore a possible association between mammographic density, site of metastasis, and prognosis. Your supervisors have a broad expertise in cancer epidemiology, clinical oncology, biostatistics and molecular techniques.

Neuroepidemiology:
Under supervision, the PhD student will be responsible for literature review, data analysis, result interpretation, scientific article writing and data presentation. We will 1) assess the associations between diabetes/BMI and ALS; 2) examine whether metabolic disorders share a high comorbidity correlation with ALS; and 3) estimate predictive value of medication use profile on ALS risk. The project includes register data, lab and clinical data. Your supervisors have a broad expertise in neuroepidemiology, medicine, and environmental epidemiology. During the PhD training, the student will spend one-year research sojourn in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
Eligibility/ Qualifications
To be eligible, an applicant must
1. hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree
2. have completed course requirements of at least 240 HECs, of which at least 60 at second-cycle level, or
3. have otherwise acquired essentially equivalent competence in Sweden or abroad.

Those who meet the requirements for general eligibility before July 1st, 2007, i.e. had completed a programme of higher education for at least 180 HEC or the equivalent, will continue to do so until the end of July, 2015.

Selection is made of qualified applicants on the ground of their ability to benefit from doctoral (third-cycle) education. Karolinska Institutet applies the following assessment criteria:
- Documented subject knowledge of significance to the research project
- Analytical skills confirmed by a scientific dissertation or the equivalent
- Other documented knowledge/experienc e of potential significance to doctoral (third-cycle) education in the subject
An overall assessment of the applicants’ qualifications will be made.

The vacancy will be filled on condition that the successful applicant is admitted to doctoral (third-cycle) education.

For further information on doctoral (third-cycle) education at Karolinska Institutet, seewww.ki.se/ doctoral.
Form of employment:
Doctoral student
Notes
Please specify which research field you are most interested in.

Karolinska Institutet is one of the world´s leading medical
universities. Its mission is to contribute to the improvement of human health through research and education. Karolinska Institutet accounts for over 40 per cent of the medical academic research conducted in Sweden and offers the country´s broadest range of education in medicine and health sciences. Since 1901 the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has selected the Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine.

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